The Boston Marathon

Clap. Clap. Clap. That’s what I did for the hundreds of Boston Marathon participants who ran by me on Heartbreak Hill on Marathon Monday. The military personnel dressed in fatigues, the wheelchair racers, the elite runners, the thousands of marathoners who did the work to not only run the distance but to qualify for a bib number - I am in awe of each of you. At Mile 19, the leaders of the 30,000 field of runners looked fast, fresh and determined, but that was not true for the majority of participants. Unlike any spectator sport I’ve witnessed, the range of ages, body types, and physical abilities in a marathon is vastly wide-ranging. But the months of preparation, the mental determination and the joy felt by each person as they crossed the finish line are common traits shared by all. Clap! Clap! Clap!